To access the Internet, customer premises network equipment (CPNE) such as broadband modems, routers, and modem-router combination products require being setup with connection specific information. This information may comprise an IP address, user authentication information, a communication type, a channel type, etc. This information (e.g., communication parameters) may be quite complex requiring the user to have substantial computer knowledge to correctly configure the modem. While a savvy computer user may be able to correctly configure the broadband modem, many users will have trouble, leading to customer dissatisfaction and increased customer support costs.
Furthermore, the type of setup information is specific to each Internet access service provider because each may use the modem protocol in a different way. Further complicating the configuration process is the fact that different providers may assign different names to a given configuration parameter. Even the same provider may assign different names to the same parameter.
Consequently, it is difficult to develop a simple set of instructions to walk the user through configuring CPNE. For example, a set of instructions may ask the user a series of if-then questions, with the user's answers determining what questions will be asked next. Clearly, if the user responds incorrectly, the wrong branch of follow up questions is asked and the process is likely to fail.
One conventional attempt to solve these problems is to require the user to visit a web site of the CPNE vendor or to call the vendor. The user is provided with a code which is unique to the customer's broadband service provider. This code is then used during the CPNE setup process to reduce the number of setup fields and choices to the ones that are relevant for the specific provider. However, the customer still faces the problem of difficult nomenclature, as well as the possibility of making mistakes leading to a failed installation.
Accordingly, the present invention provides a method and system for automatically installing customer premise network equipment, such as a broadband modem, router, or integrated modem-router. The present invention does not require user intervention such as the user placing phone calls, accessing web sites, or manually entering parameters. These and other advantages of the present invention will become apparent within discussions of the present invention herein.